Form for making and maintaining a knot in neckties



E. E. BLOCK July 19, 1955 FORM FOR MAKING AND MAINTAINING A KNOT IN NECKTIES Filed July 1, 1952 ELTUN E. ELUCK INVENTOR.

I A'r'r'v United States Patent FORM FOR MAKING AND MAINTAHIING A KNOT IN NECKTIES Elton E. Block, Portland, Oreg.

Application July 1, 1952, Serial No. 296,641

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-15 3) This invention relates to the improvements in devices to be applied to neckties of the four-in-hand type during the operation of tying the tie in a knot.

It is one of the principal objects of the invention to provide a device of this character which may be inserted between the folds of the knot of a necktie to give form to the knot and to maintain the knot in the desired shape and with the desired degree of firmness under all conditions and strains when in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is of simple, eflicient, durable construction made out of light weight material such as plastic, celluloid and the like by simple stamping and forming operations or the device could be made by a moulding process if desired.

These and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 illustrates, in dotted lines, the invention applied to the knot of a four-in-hand necktie.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device in flat formation as it is punched from a sheet of material.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the device in its final form.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a reduced front View of the device applied to the knot of a four-in-hand necktie in the process of tying the knot.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 illustrating a further stage of the knot-tying process with the invention applied between the folds of the knot.

Figure 7 is a rear view of the knot tied in its final form.

Figure 8 is a rear view of a modified form of the invention, and Figure 9 is an end view of Figure 8.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing:

The preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, comprises a body member 1 stamped from a single sheet of material such as plastic, celluloid or the like, and formed with rounded upper corner or shoulder portions 2 and 3 and side edges 4 and 5 which converge to a narrow and flattened bottom end portion 6 flared outwardly as at 7 and then formed into two opposing lateral hooks 8 which provide a transverse slot 8A.

The upper end of the body member 1 is formed with a tab 9 intermediate the shoulders 2 and 3 which cooperates with the hook 8 in securing the body member to the knot of a tie against unintentional displacement or removal. Following the stamping operation as aforesaid the device is formed in the presence of wet or dry heat into the shape shown in front elevation in Figure 3 and in side elevation in Figure 4, where it will be seen that the front face is of convex formation throughout its width and substantially throughout its length to correspond with the overlying and contacting surfaces of the folds of the knot when tied in the conventional manner.

As in all neckties, of the four-in-hand type, the collarband portion 10 flares outwardly into a rear portion 11 and a front portion 12. In tying a tie of this type and applying the invention to the folds of the knot, as illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7, the operation is as follows: The front portion is first wrapped half way around the upper end of the rear portion as at 13. At this stage of the tying operation the device can be placed over said partly wrapped around portion 13 so that the locking tab 9 will overlap and engage the crossed top edges of the tie. The rear portion 11 may then be drawn through the slot 8A at the bottom end of the body member 1 to thereby lock the device in place. Following this the wrapping of the front portion 12 about the front of the body member 1 is completed and then brought upwardly and over said crossed ends of the neckband, then inserted between the last mentioned fold and the body member 1 then drawn downwardly into a completely tied position where it overlies the rear portion 11 in the conventional manner. By this arrangement the knot is maintained in the desired shape and with the desired degree of firmness under all conditions and stresses when in use and requires no further attention during the entire time it is worn.

in the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, the main body member 1A is the same as that shown in the other form of the invention. The bottom end of the body member terminates in an extended portion 14, whose bottom end is flattened and flared outwardly and formed into a pair of hooks 8B. A pair of projections 15 extend outwardly from the extended portion of the body member and are curved rearwardly as shown to provide a guide in directing the rear portion of the tie into the hooks 8B.

Either form of the invention may be applied to the knot during the tying operation as described in connection with Figures 5 and 6 or it may be applied after the knot is loosely completed by inserting it back of the folded-over portion of the front portion 12 of the tie as shown in Figure 6, prior to pulling said front portion downwardly to firmly tie the knot. Following this the rear portion of the tie may then be inserted within the hooks 8 or 8B. The flared bottom end portions 7 or 7A in both forms of the invention provide a flat lateral backing for the front portion of the tie immediately below the knot to prevent the tie from collapsing or becoming reduced or distorted in the direction of its width. Although I have described the device as being stamped from blank material, it is to be understood that it could also be made by a plastic molding process. It will be noted that in all forms of the invention, the locking tab 9 is a short projection that extends substantially at right angles to the body and engages over the upper side only of the crossed top edges of the tie. Also it is to be noted that the hooks 8 and 8B are formed from a horizontally enlarged portion that is integral with the main body thereabove, and each of said hooks forms the lower side of a horizontally extending recess thereabove, which recess, in all forms of the invention, is approximately at the intersection of imaginary lines coincidental with the correspondingly downwardly extending side edges of the main body of the device. This is important since the portion of the tie that enters the recesses below said body is the portion that is just below the knot, hence it is obvious that the depending portions 11, 12 of the tie can swing laterally to any distance that occurs in the normal wearing of the tie and in the normal activity of the wearer without coming out of the recess.

While I have shown particular forms of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes ing: a body member generally of triangular outline with the base uppermost and equal length sides extending convergently downwardly therefrom, said member being of sheetrnaterial curved in horizontal cross sectional contour and formed with a horizontally extending recess at its lower end open for insertion, of aportion of said tie therein, said recess being substantially at the point of intersection of downwardly convergent lines coincidental with said sides.

2. A tie form for a four-in-hand type of tie comprising: a body member generally of triangular outline with the base uppermost and equal length sides extending convergently downwardly therefrom, said member being of sheet material and curved in horizontal cross sectional contour, 'a relatively short downward extension integral with the lower end of said member formed with a horizontally extending slot open for insertion of a portion of l the tie into such slot said slot being approximately at' V the point of intersection between downwardly convergent lines coincidental with said sides, and a short projection centrally between the ends of said base integral with said body and bent to extend at the concave side of said body.

3. A tie form adapted to be substantially wholly ena concave-convex vertically disposed main body member generally of triangular outline corresponding to the outline of the knot of said tie with the base uppermost and of equal length side edges extending downwardly from the ends of said base, a horizontally enlarged portion integral with said body at its lower end formed with a horizontally extending recess and 'a horizontally extending hook defining the lower side of said recess, said recess being positioned at approximately the point of intersection of lines coincidental with said side edges for receiving the portion of said tie just below said knot, and a short projection on the upper base end of said body extending at substantially right angles to said body at the concave side of the latter for engaging over the upper side only of a portion of said knot to prevent downward movement of said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 453,682 Walden June 9, 1891 1,438,801 White Dec. 12, 1922 1,955,988 Tufts Apr. 24, 1934 2,423,561 Kaden July 8, 1947 2,631,292 Cunningham Mar. 17, 1953 2,647,263 Gurzny Aug. 4, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 347,511 Germany Ian. 21, 1922 

